Previously on Seed of Doubt...
Jimmy shook his head anyway. "Oh, Lois," he said, as if suddenly remembering something. "There was an ATM robbery this morning."
"So? That's not exactly breaking news." She shrugged.
"Yeah, but the word is that the front of the machine had a hole punched right through it."
"A hole?"
"A fist-sized hole," Jimmy said, a twinkle in his eye.
"How do they know that?" Clark asked.
"There was a witness. She saw the man punch a hole in the machine with his bare hands."
Lois and Clark shared a look. This could be something huge, they both knew.
"I'm coming with you," Clark said decisively.
"But..."
"Not as a reporter," he assured her. "But as a concerned boyfriend."
And superhero, he thought to himself flatly. With Lois' strong reaction to his secret alter ego, the thought of Superman left an almost bad taste in his mouth.
Lois nodded. "Let's go then."
"I'm coming too," Jimmy said, grabbing his camera. "Actually, I was just about to leave you a message and go when I saw you. I'll take my bike and meet you there."
That didn't surprise Clark. Jimmy rarely rode with them when on assignment. He preferred to take his own car or motorcycle, so that he could be free to get back to the Planet whenever he needed to. That way, he could get the photographs developed as swiftly as possible, oftentimes finishing the process before Lois and Clark could get back to the bullpen. It was a time consuming process to speak with the police, witnesses, victims, and others at crime scenes, or to secure an interview with whoever was holding the press conference they were covering. On more than one occasion, having Jimmy develop the photos ahead of Lois and Clark's reemergence into the bullpen had given them their very next lead almost instantaneously.
"See you there," Lois said, her voice carrying a note of approval. Then, to Clark, a brief and singular nod.
"Right," Jimmy said, slinging his camera bag over his shoulder. "I'll give Perry the head's up."
"Are you going to, you know? Buzz around?" Lois asked when they were safely in the elevator.
Clark shook his head. "Only if I have to. Jimmy's expecting to see me there, not Superman," he said, lowering his voice though they were completely alone.
"Clark?" she said after a brief lapse of silence.
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"This," she replied, gesturing broadly. "This is my fault. I should have kept my mouth shut about the baby."
Clark laughed, causing creases of confusion to crinkle Lois' brow. "It would have come out sooner or later. And Ralph still would have been an idiot."
"Yeah, but, in light of everything between you and me lately..."
"Lois, trust me, I don't think there would ever be a perfect time to announce that to the rest of the Planet. Are both of our emotions running high right now? Sure. But, in the end, I'm responsible for my own actions. All of them."
***
"Lane! Kent! You caught this one?" Detective Keller asked as the two approached the bright yellow police tape cordoning off the scene of the ATM robbery.
"A man punches a hole through the ATM with his bare hands? That's right up our alley," Lois said with a grin. "Is it true?"
"Best we can figure, yeah. Witness saw the guy do it. Says he walked right up to her, plain as day, hit on her, then broke into the machine."
"How can a man do that?" Lois asked, more to herself than to anyone else.
"Might not have been a man," Keller said. "The witness took a literal bite out of crime. Tore a chunk of flesh from his hand."
Lois winced. "Lovely."
"Only, well, it wasn't flesh. The guy didn't bleed. She said she saw metal flashing beneath where she'd bitten him."
"Some kind of robot?" Clark asked.
Keller shook his head. "Unlikely. The work's too good. Here. Take a look." He handed them a couple of pictures. "The ATM takes photos of everyone who uses the machine."
"Johnny Corben," Lois said with disgust in her voice. "I knew the guy was bad news."
"You know this joker?"
Lois sighed. "Yeah. He 'borrowed' money from my sister a day or so ago. I was planning on doing a background check on the guy to show her that he's not the good guy he's making himself out to be."
"You think she knows where he is?"
"I have no idea," Lois said, biting her lower lip. "She hasn't been seeing him long. I can ask."
Keller nodded. "Thanks for the ID."
Lois nodded. "Of course. So, what else can you give me?"
As Lois and the Detective talked, Clark took to wandering the scene, discreetly checking for clues when he could, fully aware that he wasn't even technically part of the investigation. He saw Jimmy arrive, the young man flashing his press pass almost before he completely dismounted off his bike. Immediately, his camera was out of the bag, the shutter snapping away as fast as Jimmy could hit the button. He only slowed to change the roll of film. Then, and only then, did Clark see him begin to take his time in getting more creative with the angle of his shots.
Lastly, as the two officers near the ATM moved away, Clark got his chance to examine the machine itself. As inconspicuously as possible, he lowered his glasses and telescoped in on the ATM. The damage was incredible. The strike had been singular, precise, and made with superhuman strength. It made Clark very uneasy. Who knew what other damage Johnny might cause? Who knew who he might hurt?
Sighing, he pushed his frames back up his face and shook his head slightly. Nothing had seemed off about Johnny when he'd briefly met him. Oh, sure, he'd gotten a bad feeling when Lois had told him of the money Lucy had so freely handed over. But, other than that, Johnny had seemed like a normal guy.
Right. Because no normal guys ever harbor any secrets, he mused to himself.
"Anything?" Lois asked, coming up alongside him.
He shook his head. "I wish. Lois..."
She nodded, encouraging him. "What?"
"I looked at the ATM," he said, leading her to a relatively empty spot on the street. "It goes without saying that a lot of power went into punching through all that metal and everything. But the damage I saw - I don't think the police understand yet just how strong this guy is. You know I'll do what I can to keep you safe, but with my suspension, it's going to be harder. Superman cannot be seen tailing you to keep you out of trouble."
For a moment, it looked like she was going to argue. Then her hand fluttered to her stomach and she mutely nodded in agreement. Clark loosed a mental sigh of relief that she wasn't going to fight him on this.
"I'll be careful," she promised him after a minute.
"Good," he said, letting his relief accompany his words. "I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you."
"I think you worry too much sometimes, but it's kind of nice too," Lois admitted.
But Clark was no longer listening. Something had caught his attention. He listened in as Lois looked on, her brow furrowed in concern.
"What?" she asked in a confidential tone.
"Fighting a few blocks over," he said. "Sounds bad."
"CK! Lois!," Jimmy called in a friendly manner. "Did you see the damage? Crazy!"
"Very," Lois agreed as Clark nodded, trying to conceal his desire to rush off to the fight. To his relief, Lois noticed the pensiveness in his poise and directed Jimmy away. "Did you get a shot of the piece of fake flesh?" She started walking away, shooting Clark a parting glance that promised him she'd be at the scene of the fighting in another moment.
He responded with a grateful look before making his way beyond the police tape. He found a quiet, secluded place to spin into the suit. Seconds later, he was at the scene. A man was mercilessly beating another man, the victim pleading for his life with bloody spit flying out from between his broken teeth.
"Let him go," Clark commanded in the resounding, bold tone of Superman.
"Who's going to make me?" the assailant asked.
"Me," Clark responded, his tone hard and unyielding as stone.
"I'd like to see you try," the assailant replied, without even looking at Clark.
"Please," the victim pleaded. "Help."
Clark took a few measured steps forward until he reached the pair. He firmly, but carefully, placed his hand on the assailant's right shoulder, effectively stopping him from bringing his fist back to the other's face. At the same moment, however, a stabbing lance of pain pierced his entire body. There was no mistaking it.
Kryptonite.
One of the two men had kryptonite on them. Worse, Clark knew, without a doubt, that it was of the deadly green variety, not the still new and as of yet not understood red kind that Miranda had once worn.
The assailant shrugged Clark off, throwing him back a few steps, then turned, grinning. Johnny Corben. Even through the fog of pain that had engulfed him, Clark recognized the man instantly. Johnny still held his victim tightly by the shirt. He barely sent a flicker of a glance at him before reaching over and snapping the man's neck like a brittle twig.
"No!" Clark cried, too late.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Subpar Man," Johnny taunted.
As he stepped forward, the kryptonite's effects on Clark became stronger. It was a fight for him to remain on his feet, instead of crashing to the pavement. He fought through the assault of pain and did his best to maintain the immovable stance of the superhero.
"It's over, Corben."
"Oh, so you know who I am. Good. I'd hate to have to introduce myself before I kill you."
"Just come along quietly. Trust me, it'll go easier on you."
Johnny snorted. "Right." He took a measured step forward. "You want me? Come and get me, Super Loser!"
Clark stood his ground, not moving an inch either forward or backward. He felt, rather than heard or saw, Lois' presence at his back. He didn't acknowledge her. His eyes never left Johnny's.
"What are you waiting for? Come and get me!" Johnny challenged again.
After another minute of a silent battle of wills, Johnny grew tired of waiting. He ran at Clark. The Kryptonite nearly crippled Clark as Johnny came closer. His legs turned to jelly. Johnny fisted his right hand as he came forward. Clark wasn't fast enough to turn the blow aside. It took him full in the stomach. The sheer force of the punch sent Clark flying backwards several feet. When he finally connected with the ground, he gasped and coughed, trying to get air back into his lungs.
"Aww, did I hurt you?" Johnny taunted, kicking Clark in the gut.
Clark made a muffled sound of protest as, once again, the air whooshed out of him. He coughed again and attempted to stand. Johnny's fist connected with Clark's jaw, knocking him back down before he could fully gain his feet. Laughter filled the alleyway as Johnny danced around, punching the air, like a television boxer mugging for the cameras. It gave Clark a moment's rest where he could finally stand, doing his best to ignore the pain in his jaw. It wasn't broken, for which he was grateful, but it certainly felt like it was.
"Come on, Stupidman! Fight me, you wuss!"
"Give it up, Corben," Clark commanded through gritted teeth. "This won't end well for you if you keep it up."
"Won't end well for me? Please! You can't even withstand these gentle punches I've been throwing!"
To prove his point, he came at Clark again. This time, however, Clark was ready. He turned aside as Johnny rushed at him. Corben couldn't stop in time and hit the street light pole behind Clark. The pole cracked, groaned, then fell. Clark was only too glad that Lois had since moved her position, and had been far from the danger the falling pole had possessed. Johnny shook off the impact the easy way a dog shook rainwater off its coat. He set his jaw and attacked again.
He must have anticipated Clark's movement. He changed his trajectory as Clark moved to evade him. He grabbed Clark's left arm and jerked it. Clark couldn't help the cry of pain as the bones snapped. Clark lashed out with his good right arm, his fist connecting with Corben's shoulder, knocking him back. Behind him, Clark heard Lois' cries of distress at watching the beating he was enduring. Johnny responded by redoubling his efforts. His punch carried at least double the force of the first few. Clark's chest received the brunt of the force this time. He sailed backwards and into a metal trash can, crumpling the side with his solid frame. Breathing became painful thanks to cracked or broken ribs.
Another grunt of pain and annoyance escaped his lips as he fought his way to his feet. The Kryptonite sickness was almost overwhelming. All he could do was grit his teeth and fight through it as best he could, though his head was throbbing and his vision swam. His stomach was twisted up in knots and he could taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth from the split lips he'd received from the punch to his jaw earlier.
Johnny rushed him again. Clark managed to push him backwards with his unbroken arm. He mustered up enough strength to send the other man to the opposite side of the street, buying Clark some much needed recovery time and distance from the Kryptonite. Though the weakness and pain didn't vanish, the assault on his body did slightly subside. It was a welcome relief for Clark.
It lasted for only a few blissful heartbeats.
Johnny launched himself to his feet with inhuman agility. He grabbed the nearest object to him - a motorcycle - and lobbed it at Clark. Luck must have been smiling on Clark - it missed him by a narrow six inches. He had only a second to breathe a sigh of relief. He couldn't imagine how much damage his body would have sustained in his weakened state, or if he would have survived at all, had Johnny hit his target.
A howl of frustration erupted from Johnny. He ran at Lois and grabbed her around the throat. He glared at Clark, silently daring him to come closer.
"Leave her be, Corben," Clark commanded. "She has nothing to do with things."
"She your little girlfriend?" Johnny asked. "Will you cry when I snap her scrawny neck?"
"Let her go!" Clark insisted, fighting to keep his voice as neutral and devoid of emotions as possible. "It's me you want. I'm standing right here."
"Super-ack!" Lois tried to squeak out, just before Corben's grip tightened around her throat.
Fear ripped through every part of Clark's being like a bolt of lightning. He gathered what little strength he had left and rushed headlong at Johnny, funneling his energy into his super speed. His shoulder connected with Johnny's chest, taking him by surprise. His grip faltered and fell away from Lois as he tried to ward off Clark's attack. The momentum carried them into the brick wall of an abandoned and crumbling building. Somehow, the bricks withstood the force of the impact, stopping the two men as soon as they made contact with the building.
The move had cost Clark dearly. He wasn't fast enough in his attempt to subdue Corben. Johnny pinned him down and began to punch him - in the face, in the chest, it didn't seem to matter or make a difference to him. Clark felt a couple more of his ribs snap, to match his broken and useless arm. The world started to dim around him as he succumbed further and further to the Kryptonite. He swung wildly with his right arm, and only by the grace of luck hit Corben in the eye. Clark heard a crunch of metal before the eye flashed red and went dark.
Johnny howled in anger, his hands automatically going to his face. He began to retreat, slowly at first, but faster as he passed Lois. Clark could hear sirens in the distance and he only hoped that the police had been alerted to Johnny's presence in the area. Had Lois screamed for help? He couldn't recall. All he knew was the agony of his broken and battered body.
"Jimmy, no," he heard Lois saying. "No photos. Not like this."
He would have laughed if his body hadn't felt aflame.
"Superman?" Lois asked, her tears hidden well within her eyes and voice, though Clark could see and hear them easily. "What can I do for you? Can you stand?"
Clark tried to move and his body screamed in protest. Still, he forced himself into a sitting position. His right eye was beginning to swell and blacken, and he could feel his precious lifeblood rolling down his forehead from a gash in the center.
"I'll be okay," he told her in a flat, professional tone, for Jimmy's benefit.
"Jimmy," Lois said, understanding that Clark wouldn't speak while the photographer was there. She glanced over her shoulder. "The police are here. Go tell them that Corben was here."
"You got it," Jimmy replied, visibly shaken by the fight he'd just witnessed.
"Clark," Lois said in a low voice as Jimmy reached the mouth of the alleyway. "Are you okay?"
"No," he admitted. "But I will be, as soon as I get a chance to rest and take in some sunlight."
Lois tried to help him stand. Clark winced as she touched his broken arm.
"Broken," he explained.
"Oh, God," she replied, paling. "How?"
"Kryptonite," he said, lowering his voice to a bare whisper. "I don't know if he was carrying it or made of it, but it was unmistakable. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she assured him, "thanks to you."
"I wasn't about to let him hurt you." He finally pushed his begrudging body up, using the wall of the building to support himself as his limbs remembered their strength.
"Can I take you home?" she whispered.
He shook his head. "It's better if you don't."
"But, Clark..."
"I know, Lois. But I can't risk being seen in your car right now. I should be fine in a moment, at least enough to fly back to my place. Trust me. I've done it before."
"But, the broken bones..."
"Will heal," he finished for her. "I can already feel my ribs knitting back together." He gingerly maneuvered his broken arm with his whole one. His x-ray vision had returned, and he used it to carefully align the bones. Luckily, it had been a clean break. He didn't need to worry about having several pieces of bone fragments to get into place.
The sun burst forth from the tattered clouds above, as if it knew how much Clark needed its healing rays. Immediately, he felt the break beginning to mend itself, along with the other cuts and bruises on his body. Still, he knew he'd be sore for the rest of the day, if not longer. Lois looked on as Clark stood silently, eyes closed, as his body began to repair itself.
"What?" she asked, concern flooding her voice.
He managed a smile, though he did not open his eyes. "I told you my body would heal," he said.
"Does it...hurt?" Again, there was only concern in her voice, mixed, perhaps, with some of her natural curiosity.
"A little, but in a different way. It's not so much pain as...I don't know. General discomfort? It's hard to describe."
"Superman? Lois?" Jimmy called as he started back down the alley toward them, a few officers flanking him. "The cops want to talk to you guys."
Clark nodded. He'd anticipated as much. With confidence and precision, he gave the uniformed men his statement, recounting every word and every punch that was thrown. The officers took everything down in their notepads, and Clark identified Corben from the photo they showed to him. By the time he was finished and Lois began to tell her own version of what she'd witnessed, Clark was feeling much stronger, nearly like his old self, though his body ached and groaned whenever he moved. He excused himself and flew back to his apartment, where he promptly changed into his civilian clothing and laid out on his terrace to take full advantage of the remaining hours of sunlight.
He must have dozed off. The next thing he knew, it was late afternoon and the shadows had begun to creep across his terrace, slowly but surely swallowing up Clark's bright haven with deep pockets of darkness. He rubbed his eyes, getting the sleep out of them, and winced even at that small motion. Though the sunlight had fully recharged him and healed the physical wounds he'd borne, his muscles still ached from the beating he'd received at Johnny's hands. Still, he forced his body to move, rubbing the places that protested as best he could.
He set aside the lounge chair he'd fallen asleep in and made his way back into his apartment. Though the cold didn't bother him, the day was growing chillier and the warmth of his home felt good. He decided on a hot shower, hoping the heat and rhythmic pounding of the jets of water on his muscles would loosen up some of the knots that had formed. He was right - it did help, by the slightest of degrees. Still, he wasn't one to complain. He would take whatever relief he could get.
Boredom set in shortly after he finished his shower. He tried to watch television, but found himself too distracted to pay much attention to the images on screen. Instead, he called his parents and related all of the woos and missteps the day had so far brought him. He had to assure them more than once that he was physically fine and not in danger of losing his job before they were satisfied - though Clark suspected that they wouldn't be completely contented until they saw him in person and he was reinstated at the Planet. He was just saying goodbye to his parents when there was a knock at the door.
A quick x-ray through the curtains on the door told him that it was Lois. He moved with as much speed as he dared to let her in.
"Hi," she said, almost shyly.
"Hi," he responded, stunned to see her there. He wasn't sure she'd ever willingly come to visit him at his place, at least, not while she was still so angry at him over his secret identity and the lies he'd told to protect it. "Come on in."
"I wanted to check on you," Lois said as he closed the door behind her, leaving the night behind. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he said. "A little sore, but otherwise no worse for the ordeal. And you? When I saw those hands around your neck..."
"I'm fine," she said, repeating him and cutting off his train of thought. "Really. He never really got the chance to hurt me. Just enough to give us all a scare."
Clark nodded. "What's in the bag?"
"Oh," Lois said, as if remembering some long forgotten thing. "You're always bringing me food. Especially now, with the pregnancy. I figured it was my turn. I remembered you saying that you like fried chicken, so I went to Studebaker's and picked some up for us. I know it's not as good as that place you sometimes fly off to, but, well, it was the best I could do in Metropolis."
"Studebaker's is great. Thank you, Lois," he said sincerely.
He leaned in to kiss her, then remembered himself at the last second. He diverted his lips from their path to meet with hers and kissed her lightly on the cheek instead. It killed him to not be able to kiss her the way that he wanted. To distract himself, he got to work unpacking the bag of goodies Lois had brought over. Fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, creamed corn, and green beans all came out, one container at a time. By the time Clark was done unpacking it all, he was practically salivating.
"I wanted to get you the macaroni and cheese that you like so much," Lois said, blushing a little. "But they were all out. They said it would be another forty-five minutes before the next batch would be ready. I would have waited, but I was so worried about you that I wasn't willing to stick around. And then they didn't have the cherry soda that you like and I wasn't really sure who else sells it. And..."
"Lois," Clark said, cutting her babbling off gently. "It's fine, really. This is more than enough."
Lois went to his cabinets and got out some plates, then the utensils. She brought them over to the coffee table. "Can we eat on the couch?"
"Absolutely. I think it'll feel better on my body," Clark said with a nod. "Here. I can make up a plate for you, if you'd like."
"No, no," Lois said, bringing the plates back over. "If anything, I should be making up yours."
Clark smiled over at her, one which she easily returned. "I have to say, Lois. This is a wonderful surprise. I'm glad to have you here."
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you," Lois admitted. "About our fight...or, I guess, the fight I picked with you. Please?"
Clark nodded. "I want nothing more than to clear the air with you. If you have any other questions, you know I'll give you straight answers."
"I know. But this is more about my issues with you keeping secrets from me."
"Of course. Come on, let's sit down first," he said, guiding her to the couch. "Just one second. I'll get us some drinks first." Before she could respond, he was quickly but gingerly headed to the fridge. For a moment, he rummaged around inside, then emerged with two bottles in his hands. "Here you go. The last cream soda. I'll pick up more next time I'm out. One good thing about all this free time Perry's given me." He tried to laugh it off, but Lois wasn't amused.
Still, when she spoke, it surprised Clark that she didn't comment at all on his suspension. "I have a lot of apologizing to do," she said in a soft voice as she picked at the skin of her chicken.
"No, you don't," he replied.
"I do. I should have listened more to what you were trying to tell me, about why you kept your other identity a secret. I saw today, when Johnny grabbed me to goad you back into the fight with him, that you were right. Criminals will use whatever and whoever they think are close to Superman. If word ever got out to the wrong person..." She let her voice trail off as she shuddered.
Clark swallowed the carrot in his mouth. "No, I should have trusted you, Lois. I should have known better."
"You did know better. You knew me well enough to know that, in those early days, when I was mad at Perry for saddling me with an unwanted and green - so I thought - partner, that if I had found out the truth...I would have almost certainly have exposed your secret. Back then, the Pulitzer was everything to me. I was hardened and bitter and I would have done anything to get what I wanted. I wouldn't have cared much for who I might have hurt or destroyed along the way."
"What changed your mind?" he asked in a soft voice, meeting her gaze.
"You," she said simply.
"Me."
She nodded and ate a forkful of mashed potatoes before continuing. "You. You made me fall in love with you in both suits, the blue and the business ones. It didn't take me long to realize that I would have done anything to protect Superman. I'm ashamed to admit that it took me a little longer to realize that I would die to protect Clark, my best friend."
"Lois..."
She put a hand up to silence him. "I'm sorry, Clark. I overreacted when I found out about Superman. I won't say that I wasn't hurt, because I was. And I won't say that I wasn't mad, because I was. But, over the last two days, I've come to realize that I was mostly mad at myself for not seeing it sooner. The way you've both always spoken to me, the way you've looked at me and touched me, like I'm the center of the universe or some precious treasure. I can't believe I never picked up on it before."
"You are the center of my universe, Lois. You are a rare, beautiful, priceless treasure to me. And I am so glad that I don't have to keep secrets from you anymore. Maybe part of me never wanted to keep secrets in the first place. Maybe that's why I allowed Superman to get so close to you, even at the expense it brought against me, Clark, as you fell for the superhero."
"Maybe," she agreed.
"So...are you still mad at me?" he asked, teasing her.
She laughed a little. "No. Seeing you today, taking that beating...I thought I was going to lose you, Clark. I won't lie. It terrified me. The thought of never seeing you again, never hearing your voice, never kissing you again...it made me realize how stupid this whole fight has been. It made me see how much I really do love you, and how little the past matters. What's important is now. What's important is our future together, if you'll still have me in it."
Clark coughed on his soda. "If I'll have you in it? Of course I will, Lois. You are my everything. I was just afraid that you wouldn't want me in your life after everything."
"That's not possible," she said with a smile. "Where would I be without my best friend, and the man that I love?"
Clark shrugged, as if to say "I don't know." Lois laughed.
"Anyway," she continued after a few moments where they both ate silently and searched for something else to say, "I'm relieved that you're okay."
"So am I. When I first felt the effects of the Kryptonite, I knew things were going to be bad, but I had no idea just how bad it would be. The next time I face him, I have to be smarter about the way I fight him."
"The next time? Clark, are you out of your mind?" The terror in her voice was real and apparent.
"I don't have a choice, Lois. He can't be allowed to remain at large. He's far too dangerous. You saw how easily he snapped that other man's neck."
"I know. I just...I can't lose you Clark."
"You won't. I'll figure something else out."
Lois nodded, though her face showed her lingering doubts and apprehension. "Oh, that reminds me. I've got an ID on the dead guy. Name's Angel Gutierrez. I'm working on figuring out why Corben wanted him dead."
Clark sighed. "I wish I could help. And I will do whatever I can, look at anything you might happen to bring over for a round of late night research."
"Is that a hint?" she teased.
"Maybe," he replied in a playful tone.
"Only if I can crash here afterward."
"I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm just glad that you and I are okay. I spent the better part of the last two days cursing the moment I came up with the idea for Superman, thinking he'd destroyed the best thing in my life."
Lois reached over and grabbed his hand. "You'll never lose me, Clark. Eventually, I would have gotten over myself. Today just...speeded up the process."
"Then every dropped of my spilled blood was worth it," Clark said sincerely. "I know it sounds crazy, but I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too," Lois admitted. She scooted a little closer to him.
"I'm glad this is behind us," he confessed. "Maybe now we can focus on important things, like baby names."
Lois laughed. "I have a couple of name books back at my place. Maybe once we get Corben off the streets."
"And the bomber," Clark reminded her.
"And the bomber," she agreed, echoing him. "Did I mention that Jimmy got a match on the emblem you saw in the photo? The starburst?"
"He did?"
"Yeah," she said with a nod, biting into a piece of chicken. "It's from a little known, very elite honors group at the Metropolis Technical Institute. We're waiting to hear back from the school, trying to get a list of the members."
"That's great!" Clark said. "Once we have a name, we've got him." A thought occurred to him then. "How did Perry take it, when Jimmy had no photos to show of the fight?"
"I haven't seen anger like that from him since...since..." She paused, grasping for an example. "Since I started at the Planet. He's never been that mad before, not that I've seen."
Clark winced. "Oh, man," he said miserably.
"I owned up to it. I told Perry that I was the one who prevented Jimmy from taking pictures. I couldn't allow the world to see its hero so vulnerable. The world needs hope, not despair. And, I admit, I wanted to spare you the uh..."
"Humiliation?" Clark supplied. "It's okay, you can say it."
She nodded even while a blush crept into her cheeks. "Yeah. The humiliation of being seen in such a defeated state. It broke my heart seeing you like that."
"I appreciate it, Lois. But you shouldn't have put your own job in jeopardy for me. What did Perry do? Obviously he didn't show you the door."
"Hardly. He knows that you and I are the best reporters he's got. Short of burning the Planet down, there's nothing we can do that would make him outright fire us."
"So...what then? Don't tell me you got off scot-free."
Lois sighed. "No. He's got me covering all the fluff events for the next month."
"Ouch," Clark said, wincing again, knowing how much Lois loathed doing puff pieces.
"It's no big deal," Lois said, shrugging. "The important thing is that world didn't get to see you on your knees, so to speak."
"Maybe it wouldn't have been the worst thing," Clark said. "There are those who look at Superman like he's some sort of god in a cape, like he can't possibly understand what it is to be human. Maybe this would have provided an opportunity to dispel some of those beliefs."
"I don't think that's a good idea, Clark, as much as I appreciate where you're coming from. Prior to knowing who Superman really is, I guess part of me saw him in that same light that you just described. But I think the world at large needs to see Superman as someone who is, even just a little bit, set apart from them. It's part of where he gets some of his authority from, I think. Yes, I know the majority of that comes from the respect he's earned for dealing with us regular folks with such understanding and compassion. But if people found out that he's flawed and can be brought low by a lunatic with a rock..." She paused, shaking her head. "He'd find himself an even bigger target, by people who might never have tried to go against him before."
"Maybe," Clark said, not completely convinced.
"Anyway, what's done is done. There's no going back. Once we catch this psycho, and the subway bomber, Perry will forget this whole thing ever happened."
Clark nodded, chewing a piece of chicken skin carefully. It was true. As mad as Perry was now, he would barely remember the incident once Lois brought in the next big, front page story.
"You're right about that," he allowed.
"Of course I am," she said, reaching over and patting his cheek. Then, "There's two more small pieces of chicken inside. Why don't you finish them?"
"What about you?"
"I'm full. Even the baby's full. I know Superman has mentioned to me before that he doesn't really need to eat, but I kind of feel like the food will help you get back to complete health. Irrational? Maybe. Will you eat them?"
"Okay, but only if you have the last biscuit," he bargained.
Lois grinned at him. "Deal. But only because the biscuits are out of this world."
Clark chuckled as he went to retrieve the food in question. It felt so good, so normal, being around Lois now. His heart, once broken in two, felt whole and unblemished once again. He swiftly returned to the couch, but before he would give Lois her biscuit, he leaned over and captured her lips in a kiss. She returned it passionately. In that moment, Clark's doubts, however small, vanished like shadows in the sunlight, even ones he hadn't realized he'd been harboring.
"I love you," he whispered into her lips as they briefly parted.
"And I love you," she returned, before leaning back into his kiss.
Always and forever, he thought, before the power of their kiss obliterated all thought.
To Be Continued...
